The present invention relates to a storage apparatus for optically recording and reproducing information to/from an interchangeable medium such as an MO cartridge or the like and, more particularly, to a storage apparatus in which a battery pack and an interface card for an upper apparatus are combined in addition to an apparatus main body and which is suitable to carry.
Attention is paid to an optical disk as a storage medium as a center of multi-media which is rapidly developing in recent years. For example, as for an MO cartridge of 3.5 inches, MO cartridges of 128 MB, 230 MB, and the like are provided. An optical disk drive using such an MO cartridge is provided as an external storage apparatus of a desk-top type personal computer. Further, it is strongly desired to use the optical disk drive in a notebook-sized personal computer having an excellent portability which is rapidly spread in recent years.
A conventional optical disk drive, however, is mainly used on the assumption that it is fixedly connected to the desk-top type computer as a prerequisite. When the optical disk drive is used as an external storage of the notebook-sized computer, there are various problems with respect to portability. For example, when the optical disk drive is used in the notebook-sized personal computer, accessories such as battery unit, interface unit, various connecting cables, and the like have to be also carried in addition to the optical disk drive. If the user forgets to carry any one of the accessories, the optical disk drive cannot be used. When the optical disk drive is carried with the accessories in addition to the notebook-sized personal computer, since the accessories are separate, it is inconvenient to enclose and take out the accessories into/from a bag or the like and it is difficult to use them. Further, since a medium insertion port of the optical disk drive is exposed on the front surface of a casing, when the optical disk drive is put as it is in the bag and is carried, there is a fear such that a foreign material enters from the medium insertion port during the carrying and when the optical disk drive is operated in such a state, the medium or drive is damaged.
When the optical disk drive is used as an external storage of the notebook-sized personal computer, the optical disk drive uses, for example, an ATA interface (AT attachment interface) and the notebook-sized personal computer uses a PCMCIA interface according to the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). Therefore, a converting circuit to obtain a compatibility between the ATA interface and the PCMCIA interface is necessary.
When the interface converting circuit is provided in the optical disk drive or the notebook-sized personal computer, since it cannot be adapted to other interfaces, it lacks generality and the apparatus is complicated. The notebook-sized personal computer usually has a card slot for enabling a device to be connected from the outside by using a PC card. It is, therefore, desirable to provide the interface converting circuit which obtains a compatibility with the optical disk drive as a PC card. A card having a converting function between the ATA interface on the device side and the PCMCIA interface on the host side is called a PCMCIA card hereinbelow. In case of connecting the optical disk drive as a device side to the notebook-sized personal computer as a host side by using and inserting the PCMCIA card into the card slot of the notebook-sized personal computer, when a power source is supplied from the outside to only the device side, a current flows to the host side whose operation is stopped depending on a power source sequence, so that the current is unnecessarily consumed. When the power source is supplied from the outside to only the host side, a current flows to the device side whose operation is stopped and the current on the host side is also unnecessarily consumed similarly. Since the notebook-sized personal computer and the optical disk drive which is used as an external storage of the computer are made operative by the power source supplied from a battery unit, there is an inconvenience such that such a current consumption shortens a usable time by the battery.
Further, when the optical disk drive is used as an external storage of the notebook-sized personal computer by the power supply by the battery unit, a low battery voltage is detected and an abnormality is notified by a buzzer or a light-on of an LED since data is lost or the medium is damaged when the battery voltage on the device side is extinguished. There is, however, a case where the battery voltage is extinguished without being aware of the buzzer or LED light-on by the user, so that the battery is finished and the data or medium is damaged. There is also a case where even if the user is aware of the low battery voltage, the apparatus doesn""t immediately enter the unusable state, he continues to use the computer, and after all, the battery voltage is extinguished and the data or medium is damaged.
According to the invention, a storage apparatus which is easy to carry with accessories is provided. A storage apparatus of the invention for this purpose comprises: an apparatus main body for optically recording and reproducing information to/from an interchangeable medium; a battery pack for supplying an operation power source from a built-in battery which is detachably provided in the apparatus main body; an interface card for connecting the apparatus main body to an upper apparatus; and a connector cable for connecting the apparatus main body and the interface card, wherein the interface card and the connector cable are detachably supported and fixed onto the apparatus main body by a holding member and they are packaged. As mentioned above, since the interface card and the connector cable are supported and packaged by the holding member to the apparatus main body to which the battery pack is attached, it is very convenient to enclose and take them out when they are carried. A situation such that the user forgets to carry any one of the accessories and the apparatus enters the unusable state doesn""t occur.
The apparatus main body has a closable front cover (lid member) on the front surface of the apparatus in which a medium insertion port is opened. The front cover is rotatably pivotally supported on the lower side of the front surface of the apparatus. The front cover can certainly prevent foreign material from entering from the medium insertion port during the carrying of the apparatus and the apparatus and medium are damaged upon operation. The front cover is rotatably pivotally supported to a lower portion of the front surface of the apparatus via a hinge. The medium insertion port is supported at a position which is lifted from the installation surface of the apparatus main body in a state where the front cover is opened and is turned downward under the bottom surface of the apparatus main body. Consequently, the medium insertion port is lifted up from the surface of an installed desk or the like in a state where the front cover of the storage apparatus is opened, so that the medium can be easily inserted and ejected.
As an engagement structure of the apparatus main body and the battery pack, the battery pack comprises: a pack main body which is detachably attached to the side surface of the apparatus main body; a pair of pressing plates which are projected from the upper and lower portions of the pack main body toward the side surfaces of the apparatus main body and support the pack main body by sandwiching the apparatus main body from the upper and lower directions; a plug supporting unit extending from the rear portion of the pack main body to the rear surface direction of the apparatus main body; and a plug which is projected toward the inside of the plug supporting unit and is inserted into a jack hole of the apparatus main body. With such a structure, the battery pack can be certainly supported and fixed to the apparatus main body at three points by the pair of pressing plates and the insertion of the plug into the jack hole. Further, a guide knob is projected toward the inside of the pressing plate on the bottom side of the battery pack, a guide groove is formed on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body in correspondence with the guide knob, and the guide groove is communicated with an engaging guide groove which forwardly extends subsequent to a leading guide groove in the side surface direction. By guiding and moving the guide knob along the guide groove, the supporting fixing state of the battery pack by three points of the pair of pressing plates and the insertion of the plug into the jack hole is formed. The cover member for the medium insertion port of the apparatus main body is constructed by the battery pack and the battery pack can be also detachably provided on the front surface of the apparatus on which the medium insertion port of the apparatus main body is opened.
The invention can be also applied to all of the drives which function as storage apparatuses. In this case, the storage apparatus comprises: a drive unit for accessing information to a medium; a power jack for supplying a power source to the drive unit; an interface connector for connecting the drive unit to an upper apparatus; and further, a casing to which the drive unit, jack, and interface connector are attached. A battery pack which has a power plug to be connected to the power jack and supplies a power source from a built-in battery to the drive unit is also provided. Further, there are also provided: an interface card which is connected to an interface of an upper apparatus; an interface plug to be connected to the interface connector; and a connector cable for connecting the interface card and the interface plug. Moreover, there is also provided a holding member for detachably supporting and fixing the interface card, interface plug, and connector cable onto the casing, thereby packaging them.
According to the invention, there is provided a storage apparatus which prevents an unnecessary current flow to a stop side when a power source is supplied to either the host side or the device side. When the interface converting circuit is provided in the optical disk drive or the notebook-sized personal computer, since it cannot be adapted to other interfaces, it lacks generality and the apparatus is complicated. The notebook-sized personal computer usually has a card slot for enabling a device to be connected from the outside by using a PC card. It is, therefore, desirable to provide the interface converting circuit which obtains a compatibility with the optical disk drive as a PC card. A card having a converting function between the ATA interface on the device side and the PCMCIA interface on the host side is called a PCMCIA card hereinbelow. In case of connecting the optical disk drive as a device side to the notebook-sized personal computer as a host side by using and inserting the PCMCIA card into the card slot of the notebook-sized personal computer, when a power source is supplied from the outside to only the device side, a current flows to the host side whose operation is stopped depending on a power source sequence, so that the current is unnecessarily consumed. When the power source is supplied from the outside to only the host side, a current flows to the device side whose operation is stopped and the current on the host side is also unnecessarily consumed similarly. Since the notebook-sized personal computer and the optical disk drive which is used as an external storage of the computer are made operative by the power source supplied from a battery unit, there is an inconvenience such that a current consumption shortens a usable time by the battery. The storage apparatus of the invention comprises: an apparatus main body for optically recording and reproducing information to/from an interchangeable medium; an external power source unit for supplying a power source to the apparatus main body; and an interface card (PCMCIA card) having a converting circuit for connecting a first interface (ATA interface) of the apparatus main body and a second interface (PCMCIA interface) of an upper apparatus. The apparatus main body has: an interface controller which operates by receiving a power supply from the upper apparatus via the interface card; a device circuit unit which operates by receiving a power supply from an external power source unit except the interface controller; and a switching circuit for supplying the power source from the external power source unit to the device circuit so as to make the device circuit operative only when both of the power supply from the upper apparatus via the interface card and the power supply from the external power source unit are detected. When the power source is supplied only to the device side serving as an apparatus main body, therefore, since the control circuit unit on the device side which operates by the power supply from the host side is stopped and the interface function is also stopped, the current flow from the device side to the host side through the interface signal line can be prevented. With respect to the power supply only to the host side, since the power from the host side is supplied as a control power to the control circuit unit on the device side and the interface between the device and the host normally operates, the current flow from the host to the device does not occur. As another form to prevent an unnecessary current flow between the device and the host, the interface card can also have a power monitoring circuit for switching the converting circuit to an enable state only when both of the power supply from the external power source unit to the apparatus main body and the power supply from the upper apparatus are detected. In this case, with respect to the power supply from either the device side or the host side, since the converting circuit of the interface card enters a disable state and the interface signal line is disconnected, the unnecessary current flow from the power supply side to the stop side by the interface signal line does not occur. Further, the apparatus main body has a power change-over switch for switching the power supply from the external power source unit and the power supply from the upper apparatus via the interface card. Consequently, even when the power source is supplied only to the host side, by switching the power change-over switch to the host side, the device side can be operated by the power supply to the upper apparatus side.
Further, according to the invention, there is provided a storage apparatus which prevents damages damage caused by an extinction of the battery voltage on the drive side. For this purpose, the battery pack has a monitoring circuit for detecting a drop of the capacity of the battery (low battery voltage) and outputting a battery abnormality detection signal. An output of the monitoring circuit is connected to the control circuit unit of the apparatus main body by an exclusive-use signal line and is connected to the upper apparatus via the interface card. The control circuit unit of the apparatus main body stops the reading and writing operations for the medium when the battery abnormality detection signal is received. Further, the control circuit unit of the apparatus main body allows the medium to be ejected after the battery abnormality detection signal was received and the reading and writing operations for the medium were stopped. Consequently, even if the battery voltage extinction occurs on the device side during the use of the apparatus, the reading and writing operations of the device are automatically stopped and the medium is ejected so that the data and the medium can be certainly prevented from being damaged and a high reliability is obtained. Since the battery abnormality detection signal is also notified to the host side by the interface signal line, even if the device side is stopped, its cause is recognized and the battery voltage extinction can be displayed on a display or the like.
Further, according to the invention, there is provided a storage apparatus in which an optical disk drive is set to a general type and whether the drive is attached to a drive slot or the like of the apparatus main body and is used or the drive is connected via a cable by an interface card and is used can be selected in correspondence to an interface function that is equipped for an upper apparatus such as a personal computer or the like.
For this purpose, a storage apparatus of the invention is characterized by comprising: a drive of a general type for accessing information to a replaceable medium; and an interface unit which is detachably provided for the drive and connects an external power supply unit and an interface card of an upper apparatus to the drive. The interface unit comprises: a power jack which supports and fixes a casing by connecting a connector for driving to an interface connector provided for the drive and in which a power plug of the external power supply unit is connected to a rear side of the casing; a connector for a card for connecting an interface card by a connector cable; and a power switch for switching a power supply from a connector for a card and a power supply from the power jack. A battery pack which is detachably provided for the drive and supplies an operating power source from a built-in battery can be connected as an external power supply unit to the interface unit. The battery pack comprises: a pack main body which is detachably attached to the side surface of the drive; a pair of pressing plates which are projected from upper and lower positions of the pack main body toward the side surface of the drive and sandwich the drive from the upper and lower positions, thereby supporting the pack main body; a plug supporting portion extending from a rear portion of the pack main body in the rear surface direction of the drive; and a plug which is projected to the inside of the plug supporting portion and is inserted into a jack hole of the drive main body, wherein the battery pack is supported and fixed to the drive at at least three points by the pair of pressing plates and the insertion of the plug into the jack hole. Further, an AC adapter for supplying a specified DC power source converted from an AC power source can be connected as an external power supply unit to the interface unit. In case of using the interface unit, the power supply from an upper apparatus by a card interface and the power supply from an AC adaptor or a jack for a DC plug by a battery pack can be switched as necessary. For example, when a personal computer as an upper apparatus is a portable type which is driven by a battery, by switching the power supply mode to the power supply from the jack for the DC plug, a reduction of a battery life of the upper apparatus when an external storage is used can be suppressed.